


In Spirit

by CWMaddy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Archie-centric, Because Grundy is Gross, Episode Re-Write, Episode: s01e01 Chapter One: At the River's Edge, Episode: s01e02 Chapter Two: Touch of Evil, F/M, Fred Andrews is a great dad, Hurt/Comfort, I hate Grundy / Jennifer or whatever, Imaginary Friends, Imaginary Jughead, Pedophilia, Schizophrenic Archie I Guess?, She doesn't do anything in detail though, THIRD PERSON POV NOT FIRST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 16:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11317632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CWMaddy/pseuds/CWMaddy
Summary: To Archie, it looked like there were four people in the booth that night. But I was there, and I can tell you. Really, there were only three.





	In Spirit

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by that one interview with Cole Sprouse where he said if Jughead didn't interact with other characters, it'd almost be like he was imaginary. Don't ask me to find it I can't.
> 
> Basically this is a re-write of episodes 1 & 2 but the only difference is Jughead is Archie's imaginary friend.

_He was looking for the Girl Next Door._

_Instead, he found me._

His former best friend, crown beanie and all, was sitting idly at a booth while typing away on his laptop.

Archie sucked in a sharp breath, then forced himself to look away from Jughead. 

"Hey, Pop. Betty hasn't come in tonight, has she?" He asks, and just as he expected, he gets a negative response.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he decides to sit. He was bound to cross paths with his broody friend again sometime, that much is obvious since he's showing up now. No point in avoiding the inevitable.

"Hey, Jughead. Can I sit?" Jughead looks up briefly, looking indifferent.

"If you want." He does.

They're both silent for a moment.

"What're you working on?" Archie asks, trying to break the ice. It's not working. 

"My novel. It's about this summer, and Jason Blossom." Archie knows that's not the whole truth. 

Archie strikes up a conversation asking about how Jason might be remembered, if he'd reached his full potential before he died. He doesn't know why he cares, maybe out of curiosity, maybe out of fear of the unknown. Jughead remains cool and honest as he answers, if not a bit disassociated from the subject entirely. 

Eventually, after the topic of Jason and a quick comment about Varsity Football, Archie admits what's really on his mind. "I'm kind of terrified I lost my best friend tonight." 

That was the wrong thing to say, Archie realizes a split second too late. Jug's eyes harden, and he stares coldly at Archie. The sentence goes unspoken, but it's loud and clear between the two boys. 

_I was your best friend._

"If you mean Betty," He knows who Archie means. "Whatever happened," and he knows exactly what happened. "Just talk to her." Archie looks down in what's not exactly shame, but close to it. 

"You know, it'd go a long way," Jughead pauses, finding Archie's eyes before continuing. "Would've gone a long way with me." 

The dread Archie felt in his stomach when first locking eyes on Jughead that night has by now risen into his throat; it's close to suffocating him. There was guilt written on his face, he knew anyone who cared to take a glance at him would be able to see it. 

He'd never been good at talking. That's why Jug was always around, to help him with that part. Lately though, Archie had been alone to deal with things himself. It hadn't gone well. 

They sit in silence for a while longer, Jughead typing and also sometimes looking at Archie, whose eyes remained steadfastly glued to the booth's table. Eventually, Pop comes over and places a light hand on Archie's shoulder. 

"It's time to call it a night, kid. Your dad is no doubt waiting." The man doesn't acknowledge Jughead, but then again, no one ever does. 

"Betty too." Jughead comments, and Archie just nods once before standing. His smile is smaller than usual as he bids Pop Tate goodnight, and silently Jughead follows him out. 

He gets into his car and pretends not to notice in the rear view mirror Jughead staring blankly at him from his spot outside the diner. The boy soon fades with the neon lights into the dark sky. 

Archie knows that he'll be back. 

 

When he's talking to Betty, Archie's eyes dart up to the upstairs window of the house next door to Betty's. There, he sees Jughead, staring at the two of them, as he stands in a house no one lives in. 

He stares, and doesn't tell Archie what to say in this time when he desperately needs it. So when he ends up breaking both of their hearts, Archie can't say he's surprised. And from where Jughead stands, he doesn't look so either. 

 

At school the next morning, Archie can't stop staring at the shrine in front of Jason's locker. Even in death, everyone knows that that locker will only ever belong to him.

He gets distracted when someone stops by his locker, that someone being Jughead. Archie bites back a sigh. Jughead leans against the lockers with his arms crossed, facial expression closed off as ever. 

"Do you think you'd be able to use Jason Blossom's death as an excuse to get out of PE?" Jughead says as a way of greeting. "Sorry, Coach, I'm just too depressed and freaked out to do pull-ups right now." 

Archie frowns at his friend, and is glad no one else hears him when he's being particularly insensitive. 

"Don't joke about Jason Blossom," He tells Jug quietly. 

Jughead just shrugs. "What? Sardonic humor is just my way of relating to the world." Archie isn't shocked that Jughead shows no remorse, or much care at all for that matter. 

They both turn at the sound of obnoxious laughing, and see some of the football players walking down the hall, led by Reggie. 

Jughead makes a sound of disgust. "Look, it's the rich kids from The Goonies." He's lucky it's impossible to get his ass kicked. 

"Alright, I'm out." Jughead passes by Reggie, going unnoticed as always. 

Reggie slams into a kid with dark hair who's walking by; giving the offhanded comment of "Watch it, Wednesday Adams!" and Archie knows that if the athlete had seen Jughead, he would've taken the kid's place.

 

Jason was dead. He'd been killed, no, not just that. He'd been _shot_. 

"As of the weekend, Jason's death is now being treated as a homicide," Sheriff Keller's no-nonsense voice sounded over the intercom. 

Archie stared at Jason's picture inside the glass trophy case, and he was reminded of how young the Blossom was. He had so much ahead of him, and now he was dead. 

Guilt as heavy as a steel beam weighed down upon his shoulders. He felt like there was wet cement clogging up his airways. 

Jason had been shot. Shot. He got shot, and Archie had been there that morning with Geraldine. He'd heard a gun go off. He was a witness. 

"If you know anything about what happened to him on July 4th, I strongly urge you to come forward. You can speak with me or Principal Weatherbee." 

At some point Archie found himself standing right in front of the office, staring at Sheriff Keller and the principal. He wasn't sure how long he'd been watching them, but it had to have been long enough because suddenly Weatherbee turned towards him. His lips didn't move, but his eyes spoke loud and clear. 

_Is there something you want to say?_ They asked. It was a question that Archie didn't know the answer to. 

"Archie." 

He couldn't deal with this. Even his mind was betraying him now. It took all he had not to scream. 

"This summer, you told your dad that you were going on a road trip with Reggie over the July 4th weekend. But that never happened." Jughead stalked towards him slowly, accusation coating every word. 

He didn't dare look up from where his eyes studied the ground. Still though, Jughead spoke.

"Is there something you wanna tell me, pal?" 

Archie would have run away then, but there was no point. He was all too aware that it was impossible to escape your conscience.

 

Walking into science class felt like treading through a pit of quicksand. Every step he took made it seem like he was sinking deeper into the black hole of lies and secrets.

He went all the way to the back of the classroom, pretending not to see Jughead glaring at him from where he was sitting at an empty table in the front. 

When it came time to pick partners for the lab, something inside of him encouraged Archie to blurt out that he wanted to be paired with Cheryl. It came as a surprise to everyone, but no one was more confused by it than he was. 

Deep down though, he knew why he'd done it. In the end, it all came around full circle. It was his guilt and his conscience bearing down on him like a hundred bricks. He hadn't been able to save Jason from death, but Archie would be damned if he couldn't save Cheryl from the scrutiny of her peers. 

Jughead might have even cracked a small smile his way at his friend's actions. 

 

Walking up to his house, Archie wished so bad that he could punch Jughead in the face. He didn't have time for this. How many interventions was he going to be receiving today? Between Jughead, Principal Weatherbee, and Veronica, it was almost like the universe was ganging up on him. 

"Jug," he sighs deeply, coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "What's up?"

"What's up? What's up is that you were with Ms. Grundy. In the music room. Anyone could have seen you!" 

Archie runs his hands down his face in distress. "Just drop it, okay?" 

"No! I'm trying to help you, dude. I'm here to be your friend, even though you apparently don't need me anymore," Jughead bites. 

"She's the reason why you've been acting weird all summer! Or at least, one of them."

"You're talking about the gunshot," Archie supplies, because there was no questioning it. 

"Yes. Dude you have to tell somebody!" Jughead exclaims, his face inches from Archie's. 

"I can't! If people find out about Geraldine–"

"A kid is dead, Archie!" Jughead snaps. His tone sent the red head's mind reeling. "And you're worried about some – some cougar?!" 

"Hey don't call her that–"

"She's the one telling you not to say anything, right? She is messing with your mind, man!" 

"What the hell do you know about it, Jughead? Huh? Or about me, even?" As soon as the words leave his mouth, Archie immediately feels silly. Jughead knew just as much as he did, but the difference was that he wasn't afraid to admit it all. 

Jughead sighs. "Nothing. But I used to know this guy, once. Archie Andrews," He paused, and Archie averted his gaze. "He wasn't perfect, but, he always tried to do the right thing, at least." 

Jughead was gone after that, seemingly finished lecturing Archie about the line between right and just plain stupid. It was at that moment that Archie's dad decided to step outside to see what all the commotion was about. 

"Hey, son. Who're you talking to?" He asks light-heartedly. 

"Jughead." Archie whispers back.

"Ah, I see." His dad never discouraged Archie's little talks with the boy no one else could see if it helped him deal with his inner turmoil. "Girl trouble?" 

"Something like that." 

"Well, if you ever want a second opinion, I'm always here for you." Archie nods, smiling a little for appearance's sake. 

He was grateful for his dad wanting to help. But there was a reason why Jughead was around all the time. Some things you just couldn't tell to your loved ones. 

There would always be a time when the only person that you can trust in a situation was yourself. 

 

Here's the thing. Archie and Reggie weren't exactly friends. Not anymore, at least. As kids, they'd been close, always together and looking out for one another. For a time, they came as a set. 

But then high school started, and there became a sudden rift in between them. Reggie became one of the top players in football, and Archie sat on the sidelines. Jason Blossom became the main ginger in Reggie's friend group. 

Reggie didn't dislike Archie, per se, but he wasn't exactly going to jump at the chance to buddy up with the guy either. Jason's death seemed to have made that even more clear than usual. 

"Let's be honest," Reggie starts, sprawled out in the student lounge with the entire varsity team and most of the cheerleaders listening intently. 

"If a kid in Riverdale killed Jason, it's gonna be some spooky, scrawny, pathetic serial killer fanboy freak, right?" Archie wasn't looking at Reggie, but he could almost hear the athlete's smug smirk that stretched a mile wide.

Reggie had been questioned by the sheriff, as had the entire football team, but he seemed to be the only one to have taken it to heart. He sounded just a hair short of offended. 

"No, it's not gonna be a jock that killed him. It's never a jock that kills people in the movies." Those that were listening in nodded in blind agreement, possibly not even aware of exactly what Reggie was even talking about.

"There's just one exception to that rule. Archie. Andrews." Even the quiet murmurs of individual conversation stopped when Archie's name left Reggie's lips.

Archie carefully turned away from the vending machine to look at his teammate. He made sure to keep his expression stoic, but couldn't help darting a glance to the far corner. Sure enough, there Jughead stood, watching everyone with calculating eyes and crossed arms. 

"What are you talking about, Mantle?" Archie asks defensively. He didn't like all the eyes that were on him now, this wasn't what he came to the lounge for. 

"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but from my point of view, you seem to be the only person here that benefited from Jason's death." Some girls gasped, the typical reaction to unproven but still impossible to ignore gossip.

"You're playing varsity, you've got every girl pining after you, suddenly, you're Mr. Hotshot. You even got Jason's jersey number. Convenient, don't you think? One red head goes and another takes his place?" 

"What are you trying to say?" Betty pipes up, to Archie's surprise. 

Reggie stands, slowly approaching Archie with a frown replacing his smirk from not even five minutes ago.

"I'm saying that I think your boy Archie here was jealous of dear ol' Jason. I think he wanted to be popular _so bad_ ," he paused. "he'd kill for it." Reggie was in his face now, daring Archie to say something.

They both stared each other down for a second. Then, Reggie's signature smirk flared up again. "You didn't do stuff to the body, did you? You know, after?" 

Jughead's voice sounded from where he stood, otherwise not making a move to dissipate the tension. Not that there was much that he could do, anyway.

"It's called necrophilia," He said. "Do you think he can spell it?" Archie couldn't stop himself from laughing at that.

That was his mistake.

"Hey what're you laughing at, freak?" Reggie snarls, getting even closer to Archie than before. He's so close that Archie can feel his warm breath on his face.

"Nothing, just back up."

"Why?" Reggie shoves Archie then. "You nervous?" Shove. "Hiding something?" Another shove. "Where'd you get the gun, Archie?!" Reggie shouts, this time shoving him hard enough that Archie is thrown into the vending machine; shattering the glass.

A scream. Everyone's standing up and crowding around the two now, either trying to get in between them or to get it on film. Archie throws a punch in retaliation, but it's sloppy and Reggie recovers quickly. 

There's shouting coming from every side, some are saying stop and some are cheering the two boys on. Archie's thrown to the ground in the chaos of it all, and Reggie pounces like a predator. 

He thinks he hears Betty scream at him, either her or Veronica, but he doesn't have time to decipher the words or the true speaker because that's when Reggie lands a hard blow to his left eye and all he can do is be surrounded by the dark. 

 

Archie was sent home early that day, sporting an ugly black eye and a loss of pride. He wasn't allowed to drive for the next few days, he didn't have a concussion but it was still dangerous to be at the wheel while in his current state. So when his dad picked him up, he had that look on his face. The cliche but still heart wrenching look from a not-mad-but-disappointed parent. No one spoke on the drive home.

When they finally arrived at the house, Archie was given an ice pack to relieve the pain in his face. He's hunched over the table pressing the ice to his injury when the interrogation starts.

"I hate to ask this, but did you get into a fight because Jughead told you to?" Fred asked, words careful and tone calm. "I know he's always telling you to do reckless things." 

Archie shook his head, but regretted it when his body protested. His vision swam for a moment and bile rose in his throat. He took a breath to keep it down. "Nah, I did it myself." Archie stared just to the left of his dad's head as he spoke.

"Who'd you fight with?"

"Uh, Reggie. It's a long story," Archie told him.

"You want to tell me why Jughead is suddenly popping up in your life, again?" Fred forces Archie to meet his eyes, and sees a whirlwind of emotion. Caution, anger, fear, and most of all, uncertainty.

"Jughead and I, we were disagreeing about a girl." Heat rises to Archie's cheeks, because that must've sounded pretty dumb. However, his dad's face doesn't change from its open and honest expression. 

"Hm," Is all he says in response. 

Archie sighs, removing the ice pack from his face and sitting up. "Because there's this girl–"

"There usually is," Fred says, eyebrows slightly lifted in amusement.

"But it's not about Jughead. It's about this girl," Archie continues to explain, taking care to avoid using any specifics such as names.

"I think we should do something. And it's the right thing, Dad." Archie starts playing with his fingers, suddenly filled with nervous energy. He's never spoken about this with a real person before. He doesn't know what to expect. 

"So why don't you do it?" His dad asks, which, is actually a good question. If only he'd listen to the full story first. 

Archie wants to rub his eyes in frustration, but decides against it when his left eye throbs painfully. "The girl says that if we do or if I do this thing, it'll ruin what we have." He stops, thinking his words over, and realizes that he just sounds stupid. 

"That doesn't make any sense, does it?" Archie repositions the ice pack on his swollen face. He's suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

Fred walks closer to Archie, voice still quiet as he asks, "What does Jughead think you should do?" 

Archie scoffs. "I don't give a damn what Jughead thinks right now." 

"Archie, listen. I know you don't like to talk about these kinds of things with the people around you. That's what Jug is for, right?" Archie nods. "But I want you to know that I'm glad that you want to do the right thing," His dad tells him.

"From where I'm standing, you seem to know it's the right thing to do. And even though it might be tough, even though it might cost you, you gotta do it." As soon as his dad says it, Archie knows he's right. 

Sometimes it's good to get out of your head, he thinks. But it can be hard when you always have two raging opinions fighting with each other, pulling you in. And Archie's grateful to have a dad that helps him through it when he can't figure out which opinion to agree with. 

 

That night at the pep rally, Archie spots Ms. Grundy on the field holding a cup of punch. She looks out of place, afraid of the world around her. He jogs over to her and stops for a moment to see if she'll look at him. She doesn't. He speaks anyway.

"I'm gonna come clean with Weatherbee and Keller." That sure gets her attention. Her head snaps around to take in his appearance, and her face reads horror and slight anger at his words that were said in defiance of her own previous ones. 

"I was there. I heard the gunshot, and I have to own up to that." 

"Archie, slow down–" She's trying to talk him out of it, but he's already made up his mind. He doesn't let her waste her breath.

"I'm gonna do it tomorrow," he says. He's so sure of himself, too. Right now it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. 

"You don't have to come with me. If you want to, go ahead, but either way I'm telling them what happened. I'll do my best to keep you out of it if I end up being there by myself." Archie's heart is pounding, his hands shaking slightly. But he keeps his voice even and expression blank. 

He needs to do this.

He doesn't have to look around to know that Jughead is somewhere watching this conversation and listening in. He always is. 

"I'm sorry, Ms. Grundy. I have to." He gets no response from the woman, only a tightening of her fingers around her drink. He wonders what's going through her head right now, and wonders if it's always as chaotic in there as it is in his own mind. 

Then again, few minds are ever like his. He supposes that's what makes him different. That's what makes him unlucky. 

Archie walks off to stand on the side of the bleachers. Jughead waits there, leaning against the fencing with his arms crossed. There are people in the stands holding flyers of Jason's face on them. **IN MEMORY** They read. Archie feels a tug of nerves in his gut. He's yet again reminded that his choice to speak out will be a burden off his chest by tomorrow. Or he can only hope.

Jughead looks at him disinterestedly. "Girl trouble?" He asks. "You?" Archie wonders where in his head Jughead's sass comes from.

"Grundy and me. We're telling Weatherbee. At least I am," he tells Jughead. The beanie-clad teen nods once, as if this is news to him. Archie knows it isn't.

"And also I didn't mean to be such a dick earlier. I didn't mean to push you so far away." Jughead stares at Archie blankly. "I'm sorry," Archie finishes.

Jughead's got a crease in between his eyebrows, as if he's debating in his head whether to forgive Archie or not. Finally, he responds with a simple, "It's cool." which is so like Jughead, Archie almost smiles. 

Instead though, he just stands there awkwardly for a few moments, no idea how to continue this conversation. Usually Jug leaves, and that marks the end. But now, he just stands in silence. 

Jughead cracks a smile finally, and Archie returns it immediately. "You're not gonna hug air in front of this whole town!" Jughead chuckles.

"Why don't we just do that normal bro thing where we nod like douches and mutually suppress our emotions?" Archie quite likes his suggestion. 

"Yeah. But, as friends right?" Archie asks, because he really doesn't like having an enemy in his head all the time. 

"To be discussed. Over many burgers, and many days." Archie smiles a little wider. "Maybe find yourself some other friends first, though," Jughead says. 

Archie nods enthusiastically at that, and then runs off to join his teammates on the other side of the field. He can't hide his smile as he goes, for this is the happiest he's felt in a long while. 

He's stopped for a moment when Betty bumps shoulders with him. She looks him over worriedly, eyes catching on the bruise visible on his face. 

"Oh my God, Arch. Your eye." She reaches up to touch him, fingers just grazing the purple shiner before he moves his head away. Then he's pushed off by a crowd of football players to prepare for the rally. 

 

Archie steps into Pop's Diner after the rally to get out of the rain. His dad won't be able to pick him up for at least another hour.

When he enters the neon lit diner, his gaze is caught by two girls. Betty and Veronica. They both stare at him with unreadable expressions. He can suddenly feel Jughead's familiar presence standing by him. 

Betty looks at him, then turns back to Veronica. They seem to have a silent conversation. 

Betty turns back to him and asks, "Do you guys want to join us?" And Archie grins.

Betty was the only other person besides his dad that knew of Jughead's existence. She was just as supportive, too. She must have known that Jughead would be there, for he usually shows up when Archie is nervous. Betty knew this, and she probably knew he was nervous too because when it came to Betty Cooper, Archie was never good at hiding things. 

"You _guys?_ " Veronica questions as Archie nods and walks over. Betty looks at Archie as if asking for permission and he nods at her. 

"Archie's got another friend, but only he can see him. It's like his cooler other half," Betty explains to the raven haired girl across from her. Archie takes a seat next to Betty as she scoots over to make room for him.

"Oh?" Veronica quirks an eyebrow, but she doesn't look judgmental. "Well, what's this cooler half's name?"

Archie and Betty laugh lightly. "His name is Jughead Jones. The third." Archie says the last part pointedly, and he's staring at Jughead who has claimed the empty space beside Veronica as his own.

"Jughead Jones the third," Veronica says, testing out the name on her tongue. She smiles then and nods happily. "I like it." 

_To Archie, it would've looked like there were four people in the booth that night. But I was there, and I can tell you. Really, there were only three._

_A blonde girl, a raven-haired girl, and the luckiest red-headed boy in the universe._

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this fic since episode three aired. It's finally here.


End file.
